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Sunday, February 19, 2017

1053. Austrian Poppy Seed Torte

Mohntorte is an Austrian poppy seed torte/cake. It is also popular in Poland and Germany, so naturally each region has their input to the torte, morphing it into many variations. This version uses absolutely not butter or oil, and very little flour. The result is an almost-meringue cake.The flavor and texture from the poppy and walnut is extremely satisfying, and delightfully nutty. While the exterior is crumbly and delicate, the interior is moist and giving. Serving the torte with softly whipped cream is the perfect balance in flavor.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom and sides of a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper, spray with oil or butter.
In a small bowl, combine poppy seeds, walnuts, flour, almond extract, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and half the sugar on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the poppy-seed mixture, but do not stir in.
Place egg whites in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water until warm to the touch. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with a clean, dry whisk attachment, and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining half of the sugar until stiff and glossy peaks form. Fold egg whites into egg-yolk mixture in three batches.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan, and bake until lightly golden and firm on top, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove sides of pan, and transfer torte to a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve in wedges with freshly whipped cream.